Digital Commons Network^™

Magneto-Optic Properties Of Ultrathin Nanocrystalline Ferrite Garnet Films In The 8k To 300k Temperature Interval, Viatcheslav Kotov, Vladimir Shavrov, A. Popkov, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh, Mohammad Alam, L. Alyabyeva, Dmitry Balabanov, Vladimir Burkov, M Virchenko

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A study of the initial stages of crystallization in RF magnetron-sputtered ferrite garnet films is reported, in which a series of ultrathin Bi2Dy1Fe4Ga1O12 layers is fabricated and characterized. The spectral and temperature dependencies of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of these films are studied in the temperature range from 300 K down to 8 K. Measured magneto-optical properties are reported in the spectral range between 300 and 600 nm. In ultrathin garnets at temperatures below 160 K, we found that between 360 and 520 nm, the spectral MCD dependencies were typical of bismuth-substituted garnets with high levels of gallium dilution in …

Major Outcomes Of An Authentic Astronomy Research Experience Professional Development Program: An Analysis Of 8 Years Of Data From A Teacher Research Program, L. M. Rebull, D. A. French, W. Laurence, T. Roberts, M. T. Fitzgerald, V. Gorjian, G. K. Squires

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP) provides a year-long authentic astronomy research project by partnering a research astronomer with small groups of educators. NITARP has worked with a total of 103 educators since 2005. In this paper, surveys are explored that were obtained from 74 different educators, at up to four waypoints during the course of 13 months, from the class of 2010 through the class of 2017; those surveys reveal how educator participants describe the major changes and outcomes in themselves fostered by NITARP. Three-quarters of the educators self-report some or major changes in their understanding of the …

An Overview Of Psychology And Law And Forensic Psychology In Australia, Alfred Allan, Anthony D. Cole, Donald M. Thomson, Cate L. Parry

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Psychology’s roots in Australia go back to 1881, but the first documented evidence of psychology-and-law (psycholegal) research and psychologists working in court and correctional settings only emerged in 1949. The activities of psycholegal researchers and psychologists providing services to the correction, investigative and justice systems are not well-documented. Our aim in this paper is to start recording the histories of these people and the development of the psycholegal and forensic psychology fields. We do this primarily by examining publications and conference papers and recording our and other people’s personal recollections. We specifically record psychologists’ interaction with lawyers, their concerns about …

Wnt/B-Catenin Signalling During Liver Metabolism, Chronic Liver Disease And Hepatocarcinogenesis, Gayatri D. Shirolkar, Sara Pasic, Jully Gogoi-Tiwari, Manoj K. Bhat, John K. Olynyk, Dharmarajan Dharmarajan, Janina E.E. Tirnitz-Parker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Chronic liver diseases (CLDs) are increasing in prevalence and their end-stage complications, namely, cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma represent major global challenges. The most common initiators of progressive CLD are viral hepatitis and long-term alcohol abuse as well as steatosis and steatohepatitis. Irrespective of the underlying aetiology, a common feature of CLD is the formation of hepatic ductular reactions, involving the proliferation of liver progenitor cells (LPCs) and their sig­nalling to fibrosis-driving hepatic stellate cells. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been found to regulate development, stemness and differentiation, and alterations in its activity have been associated with tumour development. Recent …

Hepatic Iron Concentration Correlates With Insulin Sensitivity In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Laurence Britton, Kim Bridle, Janske Reiling, Nishreen Santrampurwala, Leesa Wockner, Helena Ching, Katherine Stuart, V. Nathan Subramaniam, Gary Jeffrey, Tim St. Pierre, Michael House, Joel Gummer, Robert Trengove, John K. Olynyk, Darrell Crawford, Leon Adams

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Rodent and cell‐culture models support a role for iron‐related adipokine dysregulation and insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, substantial human data are lacking. We examined the relationship between measures of iron status, adipokines, and insulin resistance in patients with NAFLD in the presence and absence of venesection. This study forms part of the Impact of Iron on Insulin Resistance and Liver Histology in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (IIRON2) study, a prospective randomized controlled trial of venesection for adults with NAFLD. Paired serum samples at baseline and 6 months (end of treatment) in controls (n = 28) …

Educational Partnership In Action: Insights From Western Australia, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Daniel Doh, Isaiah Awidi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Governments and educational institutions are increasingly recognising the importance of collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders in achieving good educational outcomes for students and communities. In Australia, the need for such partnerships influenced the establishment of the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program in 2003 to ensure that Australians from low socio-economic status backgrounds who can study at university can access the opportunity. In this paper, we discuss the positive outcomes of a partnership arrangement between Edith Cowan University and the Organisation of African Communities of Western Australia on an educational outreach programme to inspire African communities in Perth to pursue …

Can A Renal Nurse Assess Fluid Status Using Ultrasound On The Inferior Vena Cava? A Cross-Sectional Interrater Study: Ultrasound On The Inferior Vena Cava, Ulrich Steinwandel, Nicholas Gibson, Amanda Towell, James Rippey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC-US) has been used to estimate intravascular volume status and fluid removal during a hemodialysis session. Usually, renal nurses rely on other, imprecise methods to determine ultrafiltration. To date, no study has examined whether renal nurses can reliably perform ultrasound for volume assessment and for potential prevention of intradialytic hypotension. This pilot study aimed to determine if a renal nurse could master the skill of performing and correctly interpreting Point of Care Ultrasound on patients receiving hemodialysis.

Methods: After receiving theoretical training and performing 100 training scans, a renal nurse performed 60 ultrasound …

Fe73.5si13.5b9cu1nb3 Metallic Glass: Rapid Activation Of Peroxymonosulfate Towards Ultrafast Eosin Y Degradation, Jincheng Wang, Zhe Jia, Peng Qin, W. C. Zhang, M. D. Wang, T. B. Sercombe, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Discovering functional applications of metallic glasses (MGs) as heterogeneous catalysts is a fundamental and essential topic. This work reports the rapid production of sulfate radicals (SO₄⁻) from peroxymonosulfate (PMS) using Fe_73.5Si_13.5B₉Cu₁Nb₃ glassy ribbons as catalysts for Eosin Y (EY) dye wastewater treatment. The reaction rates (k) from the experimental data reveal that the EY degradation is well fitted with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The strong electron transfer ability is characterized by electrochemical methods, presenting an advanced catalytic performance for EY degradation. Various experimental parameters, including dye …

Photonic Crystal-Supported Long-Range Surface Plasmon-Polaritons Propagating Along High-Quality Silver Nanofilms, Sergey K. Sekatskii, Anton Smirnov, Giovanni Dietler, Mohammad Nur E. Alam, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Long-range surface plasmon-polaritons (LRSPP) with a propagation length equal to 180 microns at the wavelength of 633 nm have been observed at the interface of 12.5 nm-thick silver nanofilm, coated by a 20 nm-thick protective ZnS layer, with air. Their propagation has been supported by a specially prepared 40-layer 1D Photonic Crystal designed in such a manner that silver layer has been deposited directly onto thin ZnS layer, earlier shown to be a non-oxide material most suitable for the preparation of high-quality thin silver nanofilms.

The Weakening Of Kin Ties: Exploring The Need For Life-World Led Interventions, Gert Schout, Gideon De Jong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The protective features that families and wider social relationships can have are required to meet the demands of life in contemporary Western societies. Choice and detraditionalization, however; impede this source of solidarity. Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and other life-world led interventions have the potential to strengthen primary groups. This paper explores the need for such a social intervention, using insights from sociological and philosophical theories and empirical findings from a case study of the research project ‘FGC in mental health’. This need is understandable considering the weakening of kin ties, the poor qualities of state agencies to mobilise self-care and …

Flavonoid-Rich Apple Improves Endothelial Function In Individuals At Risk For Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, Nicola P. Bondonno, Catherine P. Bondonno, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Michael J. Considine, Ghassan Maghzal, Roland Stocker, Richard J. Woodman, Natalie C. Ward, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Kevin D. Croft

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Scope

The cardioprotective effects of apples are primarily attributed to flavonoids, found predominantly in the skin. This study aimed to determine if acute and/or chronic (4 weeks) ingestion of flavonoid-rich apples improves endothelial function, blood pressure (BP), and arterial stiffness in individuals at risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Methods and results

In this randomized, controlled cross-over trial, acute and 4 week intake of apple with skin (high flavonoid apple, HFA) is compared to intake of apple flesh only (low flavonoid apple, LFA) in 30 participants. The primary outcome is endothelial function assessed using flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, …

Unravelling Immunoglobulin G Fc N-Glycosylation: A Dynamic Marker Potentiating Predictive, Preventive And Personalised Medicine, Alyce Russell, Eric Adua, Ivo Ugrina, Simon Laws, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Multiple factors influence immunoglobulin G glycosylation, which in turn affect the glycoproteins’ function on eliciting an anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory response. It is prudent to underscore these processes when considering the use of immunoglobulin G N-glycan moieties as an indication of disease presence, progress, or response to therapeutics. It has been demonstrated that the altered expression of genes that encode enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of immunoglobulin G N-glycans, receptors, or complement factors may significantly modify immunoglobulin G effector response, which is important for regulating the immune system. The immunoglobulin G N-glycome is highly heterogenous; however, it is …

Influence Of Maturation Status On Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage And The Repeated Bout Effect In Females, Ming-Ju Lin, Kazunori Nosaka, Chih-Chiao Ho, Hsin-Lian Chen, Kuo-Wei Tseng, Sebastien Ratel, Trevor Chung-Ching Chen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study compared changes in indirect muscle damage markers, proprioception and arterial stiffness after elbow flexor eccentric exercise between pre-pubescent (9–10 y), pubescent (14–15 y), and post-pubescent (20–24 y) healthy, untrained females (n = 13/group). The maturation of the participants was confirmed by the hand bone age. All participants performed two bouts of 30 sub-maximal eccentric contractions (EC1, EC2) using a dumbbell set at 60% of pre-exercise maximal voluntary isometric elbow flexion strength at 90°. Changes in maximal voluntary concentric contraction (MVC) torque, muscle soreness (SOR), plasma creatine kinase activity, proprioception (position sense, joint reaction angle) and arterial stiffness …

Disability, Hospitality And The New Sharing Economy, Kathy Boxall, Julie Nyanjom, Janine Slaven

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the place of disabled guests in the new world of hotel and holiday accommodation shaped by the sharing economy. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses Levitas’s (2013) Utopia as Method as a methodological tool to develop the hypothetical future scenarios, which are used to explore the place of disabled guests in peer-to-peer holiday accommodation. Findings: Analysis of the hypothetical scenarios suggests that without state intervention, the place of disabled guests in both traditional hotels and peer-to-peer holiday accommodation is far from secure. Research limitations/implications: This is a new area and the authors’ discussion is therefore tentative …

Women’S Experiences Of Vulvodynia: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Journey Toward Diagnosis, Rebekah Shallcross, Joanne M. Dickson, David Nunns, Kate Taylor, Gundi Kiemle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vulvodynia is the experience of idiopathic pain characterized by burning, soreness, or throbbing in the external female genitalia or vulva and is estimated to be experienced by 4–16% of the female population, yet only half of women seek help regarding their symptoms. Of the women who do seek help, only around 2% obtain a diagnosis. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore the experiences of women with vulvodynia on their journey toward diagnosis, by using semi-structured interviews and an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology. Eight women were interviewed, and their experiences were analyzed and interpreted into three …

Barriers To Promoting Mobility In Hospitalized Older Adults, Gordana Dermody, Christine R. Kovach

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Hospitalized older adults who do not receive sufficient mobility are more likely to sustain negative health outcomes, including higher rates of mortality and institutionalization. Accordingly, the purpose of the current secondary data analysis was to examine the nurse-promoted mobility of hospitalized older adults and the association between nurses’ barriers and nurse-promoted mobility. In addition, the relationship among patient severity of illness, proxy levels for function, and nurse-promoted mobility was examined. The final study sample included 61 nurses working in medical units caring for a total of 77 older adults. Findings suggest nurse knowledge gaps and attitude barriers could potentially influence …

Ultrafast Consolidation Of Bulk Nanocrystalline Titanium Alloy Through Ultrasonic Vibration, Peng Chen, W. B. Liao, Lehua Liu, F Luo, Xiaoyu Wu, Peijie Li, C Yang, M Yan, Y. J. Liu, Laichang Zhang, Zhiyuan Liu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Nanocrystalline (NC) materials have fascinating physical and chemical properties, thereby they exhibit great prospects in academic and industrial fields. Highly efficient approaches for fabricating bulk NC materials have been pursued extensively over past decades. However, the instability of nanograin, which is sensitive to processing parameters (such as temperature and time), is always a challenging issue to be solved and remains to date. Herein, we report an ultrafast nanostructuring strategy, namely ultrasonic vibration consolidation (UVC). The strategy utilizes internal friction heat, generated from mutually rubbing between Ti-based metallic glass powders, to heat the glassy alloy rapidly through its supercooled liquid regime, …

Using Traditional Rituals In Hospitality To Gain Value: A Study On The Impact Of Feng Shui, Madeleine Ogilvie, Danny Ng, David Xiang, Maria M. Ryan, Jaime L.P. Yong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Superstition and the rituals used to support such beliefs remain an important part of Chinese business society. With the advance of globalisation and the normalisation of many business practices this study explores the importance these rituals continue to play in the contemporary hospitality setting. The paper examines the prominence of Feng Shui in business today in a qualitative study using Chinese restaurants to explore associated business behaviours and perceived value of use. Findings from 20 phenomenological interviews from across four different Asian communities are discussed highlighting the core elements of this ritualistic practice. Results indicate that these practices continue to …

Field-Scale Multi-Phase Lnapl Remediation: Validating A New Computational Framework Against Sequential Field Pilot Trials, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, Colin Johnson, John Rayner, Greg Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remediation of subsurface systems, including groundwater, soil and soil gas, contaminated with light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) is challenging. Field-scale pilot trials of multi-phase remediation were undertaken at a site to determine the effectiveness of recovery options. Sequential LNAPL skimming and vacuum-enhanced skimming, with and without water table drawdown were trialled over 78 days; in total extracting over 5 m³ of LNAPL. For the first time, a multi-component simulation framework (including the multi-phase multi-component code TMVOC-MP and processing codes) was developed and applied to simulate the broad range of multi-phase remediation and recovery methods used in the field trials. …

Change In Knee Flexor Torque After Fatiguing Exercise Identifies Previous Hamstring Injury In Football Players, Cameron Lord, Fadi Ma'ayah, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Muscular fatigue and interlimb strength asymmetry are factors known to influence hamstring injury risk; however, limb‐specific exacerbation of knee flexor (hamstrings) torque production after fatiguing exercise has previously been ignored. To investigate changes in muscular force production before and after sport‐specific (repeated‐sprint) and non‐specific (knee extension‐flexion) fatiguing exercise, and explore the sensitivity and specificity of isokinetic endurance (ie, muscle‐specific) and single‐leg vertical jump (ie, whole limb) tests to identify previous hamstring injury. Twenty Western Australia State League footballers with previous unilateral hamstring injury and 20 players without participated. Peak concentric knee extensor and flexor (180°∙s⁻¹) torques were …

Genetic Variation In Aquaporin-4 Moderates The Relationship Between Sleep And Brain Aβ-Amyloid Burden, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Gavin N. Mazzucchelli, Victor L. Villemagne, Belinda M. Brown, Tenielle Porter, Michael Weinborn, Romola Bucks, Lidija Milicic, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Kevin Taddei, David J. Ames, Paul T. Maruff, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Olivier Salvado, Ralph N. Martins, Simon M. Laws

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The glymphatic system is postulated to be a mechanism of brain Aβ-Amyloid clearance and to be most effective during sleep. Ablation of the astrocytic end-feet expressed water-channel protein, Aquaporin-4, in mice, results in impairment of this clearance mechanism and increased brain Aβ-Amyloid deposition, suggesting that Aquaporin-4 plays a pivotal role in glymphatic function. Currently there is a paucity of literature regarding the impact of AQP4 genetic variation on sleep, brain Aβ-Amyloid burden and their relationship to each other in humans. To address this a cross-sectional observational study was undertaken in cognitively normal older adults from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and …

Enhanced Skeletal Muscle Ribosome Biogenesis, Yet Attenuated Mtorc1 And Ribosome Biogenesis-Related Signalling, Following Short-Term Concurrent Versus Single-Mode Resistance Training, Jackson J. Fyfe, David J. Bishop, Jonathan D. Bartlett, Erik D. Hanson, Mitchell J. Anderson, Andrew P. Garnham, Nigel K. Stepto

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Combining endurance training with resistance training (RT) may attenuate skeletal muscle hypertrophic adaptation versus RT alone; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We investigated changes in markers of ribosome biogenesis, a process linked with skeletal muscle hypertrophy, following concurrent training versus RT alone. Twenty-three males underwent eight weeks of RT, either performed alone (RT group, n = 8), or combined with either high-intensity interval training (HIT+RT group, n = 8), or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT+RT group, n = 7). Muscle samples (vastus lateralis) were obtained before training, and immediately before, 1 h and 3 h after the final training session. …

Using Dual Eye Tracking To Uncover Personal Gaze Patterns During Social Interaction, Shane L. Rogers, Craig P. Speelman, Oliver Guidetti, Melissa Longmuir

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We report the personal eye gaze patterns of people engaged in face-to-face getting acquainted conversation. Considerable differences between individuals are underscored by a stability of eye gaze patterns within individuals. Results suggest the existence of an eye-mouth gaze continuum. This continuum includes some people showing a strong preference for eye gaze, some with a strong preference for mouth gaze, and others distributing their gaze between the eyes and mouth to varying extents. Additionally, we found evidence of within-participant consistency not just for location preference but also for the duration of fixations upon the eye and mouth regions. We also estimate …

In The Shadow Of The Ivory Tower: Experiences Of Midwives And Nurses Undertaking Phds, Sadie Geraghty, Kim Oliver

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims: The aims of this study were to gain an understanding of the experiences of nurses and midwives enrolled in a PhD, explore any barriers that PhD students encounter whilst completing the degree, and develop recommendations for consideration in formulating support strategies to encourage completion for nurses and midwives enrolled on a PhD degree. Background: It is important to understand what is happening at doctoral level education for nurses and midwives, and how those enrolled on PhD courses can successfully complete their studies, transition learning, and acquire the ability to undertake research into the clinical environments. Design: The criteria for …

The Impact Of Targeted Educational Programmes On Academic Outcomes For African Students In Western Australia, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Over the past two decades, people with African backgrounds have become part of Australian society. There have been extensive discussions of the various academic challenges African students experience at all educational levels in Australia. The academic challenges identified range from low academic achievement to unemployment and are particularly prevalent among African students who are refugees or those who have low socio-economic status. This paper argues that targeted educational programmes need to be implemented to support African students who are struggling in their academic pursuits. The positive outcomes and lessons learned from our implementation of the Top-Up Programme, a peer-mentoring educational …

Hyperlink Network Analysis Of A Tourism Destination, Hossein Raisi, Rodolfo Baggio, Llandis Barratt-Pugh, Gregory Willson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Hyperlinks critically impact the online visibility of a tourism destination and the effectiveness of information flow between tourism organizations and enterprises on the Internet. This study investigates the hyperlink network of the tourism industry in Western Australia. Network analysis is applied to explore, analyze, and visualize this network of 1,515 tourism websites. Several dimensions of network structure are examined, and the results indicate that the hyperlink network of this destination has a very sparse, centralized and hierarchical structure, and that the websites tend to form communities based on their geographical locations. Public tourism organizations and information services play a central …

Ransomware Behavioural Analysis On Windows Platforms, Nikolai Hampton, Zubair A. Baig, Sherali Zeadally

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Ransomware infections have grown exponentially during the recent past to cause major disruption in operations across a range of industries including the government. Through this research, we present an analysis of 14 strains of ransomware that infect Windows platforms, and we do a comparison of Windows Application Programming Interface (API) calls made through ransomware processes with baselines of normal operating system behaviour. The study identifies and reports salient features of ransomware as referred through the frequencies of API calls

Plant Discrimination By Support Vector Machine Classifier Based On Spectral Reflectance, Saman Akbarzadeh, Arie J. Paap, Selam T. Ahderom, Beniamin Apopei, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms are developed for weed-crop discrimination and their accuracies are compared with a conventional data-aggregation method based on the evaluation of discrete Normalised Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVIs) at two different wavelengths. A testbed is especially built to collect the spectral reflectance properties of corn (as a crop) and silver beet (as a weed) at 635 nm, 685 nm, and 785 nm, at a speed of 7.2 km/h. Results show that the use of the Gaussian-kernel SVM method, in conjunction with either raw reflected intensities or NDVI values as inputs, provides better discrimination accuracy than that attained …

Are Current Effectiveness Criteria Fit For Purpose? Using A Controversial Strategic Assessment As A Test Case, Jenny Pope, Alan J. Bond, Carolyn Cameron, François P. Retief, Angus N. Morrison-Saunders

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this paper is to test the broader utility of the sustainability assessment effectiveness framework of Bond et al. (2015) by applying it to a controversial strategic assessment case study. The effectiveness framework comprises six dimensions: procedural effectiveness, substantive effectiveness, transactive effectiveness, normative effectiveness, pluralism, and knowledge and learning. It was originally developed to evaluate sustainability assessment at a system-wide level and it has not been previously applied to a specific case study. The analysis was conducted through document review and the first-hand experience of two of the authors who were involved in the case study …

Women’S Subjective Experiences Of Living With Vulvodynia: A Systematic Review And Meta-Ethnography, Rebekah Shallcross, Joanne M. Dickson, David Nunns, Catharine Mackenzie, Gundi Kiemle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vulvodynia, the experience of an idiopathic pain in the form of burning, soreness, or throbbing in the vulval area, affects around 4–16% of the population. The current review used systematic search strategies and meta-ethnography as a means of identifying, analyzing, and synthesizing the existing literature pertaining to women’s subjective experiences of living with vulvodynia. Four key concepts were identified: (1) Social Constructions: Sex, Women, and Femininity: Women experienced negative consequences of social narratives around womanhood, sexuality, and femininity, including the prioritization of penetrative sex, the belief that it is the role of women to provide sex for men, and media …